The present invention relates to devices making it possible in a medium where there exists an atmosphere under pressure and a force of gravity, to empty a container of viscous fluid, which devices find a particularly advantageous application in changing the oil contained in the engines of motor vehicles or the like.
Devices already exist for emptying containers of viscous fluids. However, those known devices present structures that are complex and that put considerable limits on their use, in particular by individuals desirous of performing their own oil changes on their own motor vehicles.
An example of such a device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,295. The device described in that document comprises a pump placed in a housing arranged in the main receptacle suitable for collecting the substance to be emptied out such as oil or the like. The pump has a suction inlet placed in the bottom of the pump body. That suction inlet needs to be put into communication with the top of the receptacle and it is necessarily connected thereto by means of a hose enabling the pump to be placed in its housing, as shown in FIG. 1 of that document.
Such a structure presents undoubted drawbacks. In particular, it puts a limit on the suction that the pump can generate. Beyond a certain amount of suction, the hose might collapse. Furthermore, it is very difficult to make leakproof passages at both ends of the hose, specifically because of its flexibility. Finally, such a device is unsuitable for being mounted manually and its structure is unsuitable for industrializing by mass production.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a device that makes it possible in a medium where there exists an atmosphere under pressure and a force of gravity, to empty a container of viscous fluid, which device is very simple in structure, easy to make, of very low cost price, and can be used by anybody whether professionals or private individuals.
More precisely, the present invention provides a device usable, in a medium where there exists an atmosphere under pressure and a force of gravity, to empty a container of viscous fluid, the device comprising:
a receptacle defining a main volume suitable for containing said viscous fluid, said receptacle being shaped to be suitable for placing in said medium so that the main volume has a top portion and a bottom portion;
a pump having a suction inlet and a delivery outlet;
a tube including an inlet opening and an outlet opening; and
means for mounting the tube in association with the receptacle in such a manner that the inlet and outlet openings are situated respectively outside and inside the receptacle, the end of the tube including the inlet opening being suitable for dipping into the container that is to be emptied;
the device being characterized by the fact that it further comprises a separation wall for defining first and second secondary volumes inside the main volume, the first secondary volume including at least a fraction of the top portion of the main volume, and an orifice made through the separation wall to put the first and second secondary volumes into communication with each other, said orifice opening out into the second secondary volume in said fraction of the top portion of the main volume, by the fact that said pump is mounted to co-operate with the receptacle so that its suction inlet is situated in the first secondary volume, and its delivery outlet opens out to the outside of the receptacle, and that the outlet opening of the tube is situated in the second secondary volume.